Altoona Reads

You guys. This. Book.  I have been EAGERLY awaiting this book ever since it was announced to the point where I was one of the first people on the hold list. The Hate U Give was revolutionary and one of the best books of the decade in my opinion so needless to say, my expectations were high. 

If I’m being honest, this book did meet my expectations but it also didn’t blow my mind. But how on earth can anyone follow up something as huge as T.H.U.G.? The same thing happened to John Green after The Fault in Our Stars. Books with that amount of love and popularity can’t pack the same punch without simply replicating the same story.

Okay, so all that being said- I really liked this book! Angie Thomas did a great job introducing us to Bri, a 16-year-old girl who has big dreams of becoming a famous rapper, and she’s got the skills to do it, but her dreams have to take a back seat when her already struggling family gets a major set back when her mom loses her job. From my perspective as a white person, the author did an amazing job of immersing the reader in Bri’s world as a black girl living in a poor neighborhood. The reader got insight into their family dynamic as well as the life around the neighbor and it’s residents- everyone from gang members to her best friends. What I really loved is how each character had such depth. I loved that the spoiled rich kid was struggling with a secret. I loved that her aunt the drug dealer was helping Bri’s family pay bills. I loved that the white man in power showed some compassion. Everyone was such a dynamic character and I had sympathy for them all.

As long as you’ve already The Hate U Give, I strongly recommend this book! I give it 4.5/5 pairs of Spider-Man socks. 

I must admit, it’s been a while since I last read a piece of fiction all the way through. Truly. So to return to the realm of  “you will have to keep reading to have any idea as to how this ends – and want to,” I looked for a book that sounded a little different. Fredrik Backman’s “My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry” seemed promising, and the second novel from an international best seller should live up to expectations (spoiler: I plan on picking up “A Man Called Ove” soon)!